Cairo -LRB- CNN -RRB- The actions of the Islamic State are anything but Islamic , and Muslims must battle extremism to maintain the religion 's message of mercy , the grand mufti of Egypt told CNN .

Sheikh Shawky Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam spoke about the recent execution of a Jordanian pilot at the hands of ISIS . Lt. Moath al-Kasasbeh , 27 , was burned alive while confined in a cage .

`` What happened to the Jordanian pilot is by all means a crime . This barbaric action is far away from humanity , much less religions . Islam is innocent of this act , '' the grand mufti said on Thursday .

Allam leads Dar El-Ifta , or the House of Fatwas , the premier authority in Islamic legal interpretations . The institution was founded in 1895 , although the grand muftis of Egypt have been interpreting Islam for 800 years . It releases more than 500,000 edicts a year .

The battle is ideological , Allam said , and the fight is not confined to Egypt or the Middle East .

`` Violence and radicalization have become an international phenomenon that has no home or belief . But it runs through the entire world , '' he said .

The pilot 's death was captured in a horrific video that was posted online this week .

ISIS has distributed footage of its executions before , but previous videos showed beheadings .

The grand mufti weighed whether beheadings could ever be justified by Islam .

He considered the example of Saudi Arabia , a key U.S. ally in the region . There , defendants may be sentenced to death and beheaded .

`` What happens in Saudi Arabia is based on judicial investigations and implementing the predominant law . If it is the case , then we respect the rule of law in this state , '' Allam said .

By contrast , he argued , ISIS does not follow any system of investigation .

`` Everything ISIS does is far away from Islam . What it is doing is a crime by all means , '' the grand mufti said .

Earlier this year , Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi called for a `` religious revolution . ''

Allam believes in the need for reform , but he also believes the foundation of Islam must remain untouched .

What does this mean ?

It means `` renewing the methods , renewing the tools , and renewing the way Islam 's teachings are presented , '' Allam said . `` At the same time , we preserve and uphold the stable pillars of religion . Rattling the pillars leads to destabilizing communities . ''

In an effort to reclaim the voice of Islam from radical groups , Dar Al-Ifta issues publications in 10 languages , engages in awareness campaigns and joins regional and international efforts to battle extremist ideas and to present a better image of Islam .

The grand mufti 's advice to young Muslims is to seek specialized scholars to understand the true meaning of Islam .

`` We tell youth , Islam did n't carry a message of sabotage and destruction . It only came to serve humanity , to achieve world peace and bring mercy to the world , '' he said .

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Grand mufti of Egypt says actions of ISIS are far from Islamic

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Sheikh Shawky Ibrahim Abdel-Karim Allam leads the premier authority in Islamic legal interpretations